Radio communication system, radio station, radio terminal, network operation management apparatus, and communication quality confirmation method

Abstract

The present invention is a radio communication system having quality measurement means configured to execute quality measurement related to a service quality in communication between a radio terminal and a radio station, and information collection means configured to collect information related to a location of the radio terminal to be a target for the quality measurement, the radio communication system comprising: means configured to associate the information related to the location of the radio terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied in an execution period of the quality measurement with results of the quality measurement.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radio communication system having at least a radio terminal and a radio station,
 wherein the radio station comprises:
 a first transmitter configured to transmit an instruction for the radio terminal to periodically obtain information related to a location of the radio terminal; 
 at least one processor configured to:
 perform throughput measurement of a communication with the radio terminal, in a predetermined execution period, and 
 collect, as collected information, the information related to the location of the radio terminal, information of an accuracy of the information related to the location of the radio terminal, results of the throughput measurement, information related to a time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station, and a quality of service (QoS) class indicator related to the throughput measurement; and 
 
 a second transmitter configured to transmit the collected information to an information collection apparatus,
 wherein the collected information is correlated based on the time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station in the predetermined execution period, 
 
 
 wherein the radio terminal comprises:
 at least one processor configured to obtain the information related to the location of the radio terminal and information of an accuracy of the information related to the location of the radio terminal, in response to the instruction; and 
 
 a terminal transmitter configured to report the obtained information related to the location of the radio terminal and information of an accuracy of the information related to the location of the radio terminal. 
 
     
     
       2. The radio communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the instruction for the radio terminal to obtain the information comprises an instruction for the radio terminal to use a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to obtain the information. 
     
     
       3. A radio station comprising:
 a first transmitter configured to transmit an instruction for a radio terminal to periodically obtain information related to a location of the radio terminal; 
 at least one processor configured to perform throughput measurement of a communication with the radio terminal, in a predetermined execution period; and 
 a second transmitter configured to transmit collected information comprising the information related to the location of the radio terminal, information of an accuracy of the information related to the location of the radio terminal, results of the throughput measurement, information related to a time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station, and a quality of service (QoS) class indicator related to the throughput measurement, the collected information being correlated based on the time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station in the predetermined execution period. 
 
     
     
       4. The radio station according to  claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to collect the collected information. 
     
     
       5. The radio station according to  claim 3 , wherein the instruction for the radio terminal to obtain the information comprises an instruction for the radio terminal to use a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to obtain the information. 
     
     
       6. The radio station according to  claim 3 , wherein the radio station is one of a base station and a Radio Network Controller (RNC), and the information collection apparatus is a Trace Collection Entity (TCE). 
     
     
       7. The radio station according to  claim 3 , wherein the throughput is an uplink throughput from the radio terminal to the radio station. 
     
     
       8. The radio station according to  claim 3 , wherein the throughput measurement is not performed by the radio terminal. 
     
     
       9. A network operation management system in a radio communication system, comprising:
 at least one memory storing instructions; and 
 at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:
 instruct a radio station to perform throughput measurement of a communication with a radio terminal, and to report collected information comprising: the information related to a location of the radio terminal, information of an accuracy of the information related to the location of the radio terminal, results of the throughput measurement, information related to a time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station, and a quality of service (QoS) class indicator related to the throughput measurement; and 
 receive, from the radio station, the collected information, the collected information being correlated based on the time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station in the predetermined execution period, wherein
 the radio station is configured to transmit an instruction for the radio terminal to periodically obtain the information related to the location. 
 
 
 
     
     
       10. The network operation management system according to  claim 9 , wherein the instruction for the radio terminal to obtain the information comprises an instruction for the radio terminal to use a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to obtain the information. 
     
     
       11. A communication method in a radio station, comprising:
 transmitting an instruction for a radio terminal to periodically obtain information related to a location of the radio terminal; 
 performing throughput measurement of a communication with the radio terminal in a predetermined execution period; 
 collecting, as collected information, the information related to the location of the radio terminal, information of an accuracy of the information related to the location of the radio terminal, results of the throughput measurement, information related to a time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station, and a quality of service (QoS) class indicator related to the throughput measurement; and 
 transmitting the collected information to an information collection apparatus, 
 wherein the collected information is correlated based on the time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station in the predetermined execution period. 
 
     
     
       12. The communication method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 collecting the collected information. 
 
     
     
       13. The communication method in the radio station according to  claim 11 , wherein the radio station is one of a base station and a Radio Network Controller (RNC), and the information collection apparatus is a Trace Collection Entity (TCE). 
     
     
       14. The communication method in the radio station according to  claim 11 , wherein the throughput is an uplink throughput from the radio terminal to the radio station. 
     
     
       15. The communication method in the radio station according to  claim 11 , wherein the throughput measurement is not performed by the radio terminal. 
     
     
       16. A communication method in a network operation management system, comprising:
 instructing a radio station:
 to perform throughput measurement of a communication with a radio terminal, wherein the radio station transmits an instruction for the radio terminal to periodically obtain the information related to the location of the radio terminal, and 
 to report, to an information collection apparatus, collected information comprising the information related to a location of the radio terminal, information of an accuracy of the information related to the location of the radio terminal, results of the throughput measurement, information related to a time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station, and a quality of service (QoS) class indicator related to the throughput measurement; and 
 
 receiving, from the radio station, the collected information, 
 wherein the collected information is correlated based on the time at which the throughput measurement is performed by the radio station in the predetermined execution period.